In
September of 2010,
HiFi-Tuning of Berlin, Germany,
announced the release of their new Supreme3 Fuse line,
a new, higher performing version of their well-received fuse products. What
distinguishes the new Supreme3 product is its choice of conductive
material. They are constructed from an alloy of 99% Silver impregnated
with 1% 24 Karat Gold, very similar to the mixture used
in the Mundorf Supreme Silver/Gold Capacitors.

Mundorf has
said that the Supreme silver/gold products consist of pure
silver with a mixture of 1% pure gold. The Gold alters the
crystalline structure of the silver and contributes to maximizing its,
already,
very good electrical conductivity. The wire drawing process
results in micro cracks in the conductor's surface, while the cooling
process further contributes more imperfections in the resultant crystal
structures of conductors.
The addition of gold to the silver allows for substantial filling of
both the micro cracks and the empty spaces between the crystal
boundaries. This more uniform crystal structure contributes greatly to
improved transmission properties, additionally curtailing surface
oxidation and the tarnishing that occur over time.

Available
in both .75" length GMA (5 x 20 mm
) and 1.25" 3AG (6 x 32 mm) sizes,
this new line of fuses are the next logical step up from HiFi-Tuning's US-GoldČ
fuses, previously reviewed by Myles
Astor in
Issue 51. The Gold2 and
Supreme3 share a number of commonalties, including low
in-circuit resistance, a ceramic (rather than a glass) body, and both
lines are cryo treated by
Cryogenics International for
further stabilization of the conductive materials.

These fuses are further resonance optimized by
sheathing the internal fuse filament inside a
Polyolefin tube,
as well as encasing the conductive materials within black ceramics
rather than the more common glass. HiFi-Tuning settled on the Polyolefin tube
approach once they had exhausted other methods, including filling the
fuse body with sand or glass beads. The thermal properties of this
ultra-pure conductive material don't lend itself well to the use of
sand, and the glass bead process made the production cost prohibitive. The
final process applied to all the Supreme3 fuses is that of a
proprietary quantum level treatment.

When I
reached out to HiFi-Tuning to inquire about a closer examination of
these new devices, principal Bernd Ahne responded that he would happily
send some along to appease my curiosity.

To go "all in" on this one, I would need two 3A GMAs
for my preamplifier, two 500mA GMAs
for my universal disc player, two 1.5 GMAs
for my phono preamplifier, and
four 4A GMAs
(two each for my mono pair) of amps.
Once I shared my system needs with him, the fuses arrived from Germany
very quickly and I was ready to get underway.

After a
brief bout of quite to install all eight fuses, I re-fired all my
components to let everything have some time to "run in." Over the next
three to three and a half weeks, I heard some exemplary, if subtle,
improvements.

While I had expected some slight advances here or there, in a few
specific categories, I was treated to small but encompassing, readily
distinguishable, sonic improvements to virtually every attribute of my
rig. The overall improvement wrought by their insertion was simply
astonishing.

What stood
out from the first was the notable enhancement in overall timbre,
especially through the lower to mid bass, and the upper midrange through
lower treble regions. Bass runs, from the thundering electric bass licks
of the "Ox" Entwistle, to the engaging and often nuanced cello efforts
of Janos Starker, were weightier, "woodier" sounding, and more tonally
balanced. Strings, horns, and cymbals further shed most remnants of that
"white-ish" sonic tinge and were rendered in a more fluid and coherent
manner.

Transparency enjoyed a wholesale improvement; slight, granted, but
bettered without question. This comes in two forms as I heard it. First,
through the reduction of a miniscule yet inclusive fine graining,
offering a more liquid texture overall, and secondly, by contributing to
a slight reduction of the noise floor.

Spatial
recreation enjoys special attention. Dimensionality takes on a slightly
more focused nature, and at the same time, instrumental lines are
recreated with better delineation and seemingly more accurate and
appropriate size.

Both
microdynamic events and microdynamic shadings are more readily revealed,
unleashing enhanced detail and offering enhanced perception of physical
and emotional involvement.

The overall
result with the HiFi-Tuning Supreme3 fuses in place is an
enriched clarity to the entire audio spectrum, advancing
resolution in an involving manner, becoming crisper without adding
glare, grain, or edginess, combined with a more natural presentation of
tonality, texture, and soundstaging. They afford a heightened sense of
reality, with the music being at once much more natural sounding and
open, flowing with more dynamic involvement and greater vibrancy. They
nudge the entire system toward a slightly more organic, authentic
nature.

In general,
the resultant sonic effect of their installation is very similar to that
experienced when replacing a component's decent AC cable (≈$150) with an
excellent one (≈$1500-$2000). The total retail cost for the eight HiFi-Tuning
Supreme3 fuses I installed was $540. That represents less
than four tenths of one percent (0.0039%) of my overall system
investment. This kind of inclusive sonic enhancement, for an outlay of
only $55 or $75 each, is not only hard to replicate by any other manner
I know, but reveals what a bargain they actually represent.

I suppose
your individual results may vary. For me, even the slight,
delicate aural benefit gained by dropping $110 worth of fuses into my
$4000 universal disc player, is unprecedented, and as of this writing, I
honestly know of no other way to spend so little, so effectively.
In my system, the enhanced clarity, focus, and transparency, the
enriched, more natural and organic tonality, combined with the reduced
grain and noise floor, make them a no brainer. These fuses may just
afford the highest musical return on your investment available in
today's market.

I've no way
to test how effective they may be with more modestly priced players or
electronics. If you step up to the plate with more affordable gear, drop
me a line with your findings; I'd love to learn what you discover. Most
musically and enthusiastically recommended!
Greg Weaver